My Fault
by MaidenMoonshine
Summary: Abby has to be rescued from yet another dangerous relationship. One-shot based on a prompt by fiftyshadeswritergal.


**Hi, everyone! So, this isn't my Ziva story (yet) but I thought I would share. fiftyshadeswritergal and I have been exchanging writing prompts and I thought that I would share one of my completed ones with you all. I hope that you enjoy. (This is only a one-shot.) **

**...**

**Scenario from fiftyshadeswritergal:**  
**"Abby ends up in another toxic relationship like the one she had with Mikel in Season 3 (I think; tag: bloodbath) She decides AGAIN that she can handle it herself but it gets out of hand and the team needs to step in and help. How does Gibbs respond this time around?"**

**...**

Abby pulled away from Tony's hold on her arm, scowling her fiercest to cover the fact that her heart was trembling with fear. She glared at the row of her co-workers - aka self-appointed guardian angels - and tried to ignore the fact that all of them had terror in their eyes.

_All my fault - again._

The berating words were similar to ones that KJ had told her again and again over the last few months while they had been dating. At first it had been easy to excuse it as him "joking around" or "maybe it really was my fault". But then? Then it became a lot more than words. He bumped into her when he was upset, knocking her off balance. During one fight it escalated to him shoving her, then a week later he hit her for the first time. The only reason that he had been still walking free until this afternoon was that today was the first time her make-up skills did not work. Within seconds of Tim noticing her bruises he had Gibbs on his way, who brought Tony, Ducky, Jimmy, and Ziva along in a wave of righteous anger. Two hours later, KJ was under arrest for assault and Abby was being grilled on exactly what had happened.

"Abs, tell us what caused this - please."

The pain in Gibbs' voice matched the pain in her heart and broke Abby's tough facade. She threw herself forward and into his arms.

"I'm sorry!" she wailed. "Just please, please don't be mad!"

Gibbs' hand was gentle on her hair as he hugged her - so different from KJ's rough, lustful touches.

"I'm not mad, baby, not at you. You'll stay with me for awhile, until I can be sure that you aren't going to risk your safety and heart when you're on your own, but that's just for your safety and well-being," Gibbs stated, whispering into her ear for only her to hear. Abby did not protest at all. She knew all of the rules and expectations that Gibbs would have but right now they seemed to be a celestial safety net that would protect her from another breach in judgment.

"You're never dating another guy without my approval!" Gibbs growled as Abby winced when she hit her bruised arm against him while disentangling from the hug.

"Or mine!" Tony and Tim voiced in unison. Ducky and Jimmy nodded their approval.

"We could double date," Ziva offered. Her facial expression suggested that all of Abby's dates would be double events, whether or not Abby would know and approve.

"Those all sound good ... really good to me," Abby sighed contentedly. She suddenly looked up nervously at Gibbs. "Are you ... are you ... are you going to ...?"

Gibbs looked broken at the fear in Abby's eyes at the thought of possible consequences.

"Abby, I'm going to help you, sweetheart - not punish you. I'm sad that you didn't feel ready to trust me with this ..."

"I do trust you! I do!" Abby sobbed, her heart breaking a little more. "I just ... I just wanted to try to fix it on my own."

"I know, I understand," Gibbs soothed, rocking her slightly in his embrace. "I love you, Miss Abigail Scuito, and that will never change. You got in over your head - not the first time, won't be the last time. I hope that next time you'll let me help earlier, but that's up to what you want to do. Just know this - you're safe with me."

"Safe with us," Ducky corrected.

Abby leaned against Gibbs' chest and looked around at the circle of her friends-turned-family.

If it was her fault that she was so loved, then she was glad to take the blame!

...

**Please review! **


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